Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O’Hare said ‘I’m delighted that Natalia will be joining us next Season and look forward to seeing her take on a full range of the Company’s heritage and modern repertory. She is a wonderful addition to our world class roster of Principals.’

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I think that is great news as Osipova is a great ballerina - but what about promoting some of the present RB's home-grown and talented dancers that are 'waiting in the wings'? They just seem to 'import' principal dancers nowadays instead of nurturing the huge amount of talent within the company

Yes, she is fab and perhaps the best dancer anywhere in the world today, but so is Ivan Vasiliev. Both of them have had fabulous performances with other dancers, but there is such a chemistry and a feeling of trust between them that together they create real magic, which is wonderful to watch. It would be a real pity if they are not together. They are both great actors as well as dancers and they read each other's minds.

Fantastic news! Very excited to see her with Carlos in Romeo and Juliet. I assume with the amount of principals that have been lost in the last year or are retiring this year, we can expect to see plenty in the way of new faces and promotions!

This is a great opportunity for Osipova's talent to be matched by the outstandingly high dramatic standards of the Royal Ballet stagings. It was dispiriting to see her last week in the poor staging and puerile drama of the Mikhailovsky's Don Quixote and Laurencia - even the best dancers can't fulfill their potential without a meaningful production in which to perform.
However, I do agree with J Simmons - the RB is slow to promote within its own ranks. Choe's talent, for example, is just crying out for promotion.

Disagree with Ms. Gingell's comments vis a vis the Mikhailovsky Company but agree with the vast number in the British critical community who reviewed those same productions. There are a great number of fine dancers in that company and they showed themselves to wonderful effect in a great many instances. (Who could forget the truly stellar Novikova/Sarafanov Giselle). Osipova's addition to the RB roster helps to secure it on a TRULY world basis. I think the new RB Director has done a very fine job in being judicious in his casting decisions and revealing with care new talents in the RB ranks without applying undue pressure. He obviously is doing this with an eye towards the international scale of the company as a whole. I applaud his exchange programme with ABT (who shares much repertory with the RB and has done so since the Dowell years) and only hope that after Mr. Acosta comes to retire that he employs the monies for that guest principal contract (developed for Guillem, the last ballet star who truly sold tickets on a global scale prior, of course, to Ms. Osipova and her partner, Ivan Vasiliev) to encourage a variety of key world talents to share their gifts with all RB artists as much as they will have an opportunity to learn in the process as well. (An effective indication of this were the stellar performances by Mr. Jason Reilly with the Royal's beautiful Alina..) Bravo Mr. O'Hare I say for making his own mark in a world very different from the concrete developments so carefully shaped by his noted predecessor.

There's a bit of a gap in the female principal ranks with both Ms Galeazzi and Ms Benjamin retiring after summer. If Ms Osipova is only Guest Principal Artist (or Principal Guest Artist, lol) then there is still room for one more to be added to carry the workload. I'm guessing Yuhui Choe will be one of the frontrunners, as she has taken most of the major leading classical and modern roles already. If it is as a guest principal, it really comes as no surprise given how popular Ms Osipova's Swan Lake performances were.

Maybe the ROH should realise that there are a great many people who would buy extra tickets just to see Ivan Vasiliev dance any role. Witness the booking for 'Flames of Paris'. The 16th August is almost a full house last time I looked.

Thrilled that Osipova will be dancing with the RB. Would love to see her dance the RB repertoire (Ashton, Balanchine, MacMillan, Wheeldon, Scarlett mainly) and to partner other RB men aside from Acosta. In my opinion O'Hare made the right decision, for whatever reason not to include Vasiliev as guest. Smart couple for not sticking together! Vasiliev, for all his brilliance would a be a poor fit for the RB.
As for promoting within the company: I totally agree. However there aren't any dancers worthy of principal rank, as yet. Definitely NOT Ms Choe, possibly Mr Hristov as he has proven himself time and again. But the one to watch is Ms Naghdi by a million miles!!

I've come and will return to the RB because of Cojocaru Choe, Nuñez, Yanowsky, Marquez, McGuire ....and ...and.., (not to mention in this case all the fantastic male dancers- Bonelli, Kish, Watson, McRae, Stepanek and ..and). It will be a pleasure for me as a foreigner to see Osipova in addition to the RB artists.

Natalia coming to RoH is a mixed blessing. But I don't suppose she'll be here all season, maybe some guest performances so that she can experience ballets not in the Russian repertoire. Although I love Acosta, it will not be the same with him partnering her - Ivan and Natalia together is what I would like to see!

I'm totally agree with Merkuriev fan. Natalia and Ivan are perfect together. I wish he can join too the ROH.
It will be just a dream to see them dance again in London. I went to see all their performances at the coliseum. It was just so amazing.
I cried when I was watching Don Q. Absolutely beautiful.

This is the most fantastic news - to have Osipova here in London. As an aside, I cannot agree with J. Gingell's comments about the Mikhailovsky's Don Q with Osipova and Vasiliev at the Coliseum a week ago - presumably she was not actually there to see the standing ovation for the whole troupe - and there was absolutely no problem with the set.

It is indeed really great news, bravo Kevin! Osipova is glorious and I long to see what she does with an expanded repertoire - thrilling prospect. Like others, I so hope it won't impede opportunities for current Company dancers - Emma Maguire instantly springs to mind - whose chance to grow will, surely, only come if they can attempt big roles early enough? Emma as Juliet for instance, or, as a beautiful Ashton dancer, Titania?

I can't imagine why ROH arranged only one performance for Osipova and Vasiliev's 'the flame of Paris'. The tickets are almost sold out while there are still plenty of available tickets for other dancers or other performances...
Please arrange one more performance!

What a shame that yet again, a principal dancer at RBS is hired from outside the UK...what is Mr O'Hare doing to support home grown talent? Public money and major Ku charitable trusts' money is going towards dancers who have no links with this country, and who are imported at the top of their game. Whilst I can see the value in having a mix of international talent in a company, how can it be there is only one English female principal at RBS? What is the pint in aspiring to join the Reyal Ballet School? There must be something wrong with the training in this country in both the top schools and the companies. How sad. On another note, personally whilst I can admire her technique, I found Yuhui Choe completely miscast in La Bayadere,

Yes what is the point of the royal ballet school. They hardly ever take students at graduation into the school and you have to be from somewhere else to progress. Personal experience of the rbs.wouldent recommend you send a child there

Cant' wait to see Natalia Osipova dance the Nutcracker in December. Do not agree that Ivan Vasiliev would not be a good fit for The Royal ballet. In fact I think the company would be greatly enhanced by having these two wonderful dancers in their company. I thought their season at the Coloseum was wonderful, and why did she not dance Don Quioxte at the Royal. She is the most stunning dancer in the world today.